FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a prior art automatic hair washer.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a mixing tank for mixing water and hot water which is transmitted from an external water supply and an external hot water supply, via a curb stop, a strainer, and a check valve (which are not shown), to prepare wash water having a temperature suitable for hair washing. Numeral 2 denotes a motor valve. Numeral 3 denotes a hot water storing tank for storing the wash water supplied from the mixing tank 1 via the motor valve 2. Numeral 4 denotes a thermistor provided at a lower position in the hot water storing tank 3 to measure a temperature of the wash water in the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 5 denotes a float switch for detecting an amount of the wash water in the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 6 denotes a hot water supplying pump for pumping out wash water from the hot water storing tank 3. Numeral 7 denotes a valve for hand shower. Numeral 8 denotes a drawable hand shower used for washing off hairs, shampoo agent, or conditioner agent which are attached to a cistern, or in finishing hair washing. Character A1 denotes a hot water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the hot water supplying pump 6, to lead the wash water pumped out by the hot water supplying pump 6. Numeral 9 denotes a draining electromagnetic valve provided in midway in the hot water supply pipe A1 to drain unnecessary wash water. Characters S1 to S12 denote shower heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A1, to spout wash water. Numerals 10a to 10k denote hot water supplying electromagnetic valves for supplying the wash water to the shower heads S1 to S12 and nozzle heads N1 to N6 by opening operations, and stopping the supply of the wash water by closing operations. Numeral 11 denotes a shampoo tank for storing shampoo agent. Numeral 12 denotes a conditioner tank for storing conditioner agent. Numeral 13 denotes a shampoo supplying pump for pumping out shampoo agent from the shampoo tank 11. Numeral 14 denotes a conditioner supplying pump for pumping out conditioner agent from the conditioner tank 12. Numerals 15 and 16 denote check valves. Characters N1 to N6 denote the nozzle heads, each being connected to an end of the branched hot water supply pipe A1, to spout the wash water mixed with the shampoo agent or the conditioner agent which is pumped out from the shampoo tank 11 or the conditioner tank 12. Numeral 20 denotes a hot water supplying pump control unit for controlling the output of the hot water supplying pump 6 to change amounts of the wash water supplied to the shower heads S1 to S12 and the nozzle heads N1 to N6.
FIGS. 4 to 6 are diagrams schematically illustrating a structure of the cistern of the prior art automatic hair washer. FIG. 4 is a plan view, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along a line V--V of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along a line V1--V1 of FIG. 4.
In the figures, the same reference numerals and characters as those in FIG. 3 denote the same or corresponding parts. Numeral 31 denotes a cistern into which a person 35 whose hair is to be washed inserts his head. Numeral 32 denotes a cabinet. Numeral 33 denotes a neck receiving part for supporting the nape part of the person under hair washing 35 when the person inserts his head toward the cistern 31. Numeral 34 denotes a drain outlet.
As shown in the figures, the shower heads S1 to S12 and the nozzle heads N1 to N6 are provided on inner walls of the cistern 31, and hair washing is performed using wash water spouted from these washing nozzles. Respective washing nozzles spout the wash water toward different parts. The shower heads S1 and S12 wash the top of the head, the shower heads S2 to S5 wash the sides, the shower heads S6 and S11 wash the back, and the shower heads S7 to S10 wash the nape, respectively.
FIG. 7 is a timing chart for illustrating the opening/closing operation of the hot water supplying electromagnetic valves 10a to 10k for the shower heads S1 to S12 and the nozzle heads N1 to N6, and the output from the hot water supplying pump 6, in the prior art automatic hair washer.
Hereinafter, an operation of the prior art automatic hair washer will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
First, in an initial drainage step to, cooled wash water remaining in the hot water supply pipe A1 is spouted from the shower heads S1 to S12 and the nozzle heads N1 to N6, via the hot water supplying electromagnetic valves 10a to 10k.
Next, the operation proceeds to a preliminary washing step t1, and the wash water is spouted over all the hair from the shower heads S1 to S12 in a prescribed order, with the wash water from the shower heads overlapping each other.
Then, the operation proceeds to a shampooing step t2, and wash water is spouted from the shower heads S1 to S12, as well as wash water mixed with shampoo agent pumped by the shampoo supplying pump 13 is spouted from the nozzle heads N1 to N6.
When the shampooing step t2 is finished, the operation proceeds to an osmosis step t3, a secondary washing step t4, a massage step t5, a conditioning step t6, and a rinsing step t7, and thus, the series of washing steps are completed.
As shown in FIG. 7, outputs from the hot water supplying pump 6 are decided in advance for the respective steps. For example, in the massage step, in order to stimulate the head, the output from the hot water supplying pump 6 and the pressure of the wash water spouted from the shower heads S1 to S12 are relatively high. In the conditioning step, it is not necessary that the conditioner agent reaches the head like the shampoo agent. It is sufficient for the conditioner agent to be applied to the hair. Therefore, the output from the hot water supplying pump 6 is set lower and pressures of the wash water spouted from the shower heads S1 to S12 and the nozzle heads N1 to N6 are relatively low. As described above, the outputs from hot water supplying pump 6 are changed for the respective washing steps, whereby the forces of the wash water spouted from the washing nozzles are varied.
However, when hair is washed using the prior art automatic hair washer, the output from the hot water supplying pump is kept constant for each step and the same amount of the wash water is supplied to each washing nozzle. Therefore, the amount and hydraulic pressure of the wash water spouted over the head from each washing nozzle are fixed in the prior art automatic hair washer, although the amount and pressure of the wash water is varied depending upon the part of the hair to be washed. For example, tip parts of hair are easily cleaned with a small amount of wash water, but the scalp is difficult to clean and requires massaging by forcibly scattering wash water to it. Accordingly, excessive wash water is spouted to parts where a large amount of wash water is not necessary, and thus it is uneconomical and inefficient.
Further, the head has parts which are insensitive to stimuli, such as the top of the head, or sensitive parts such as the nape part. Therefore, even if the wash water is spouted under a constant pressure, the person under hair washing feels a pain in some parts, or feels dissatisfied with the stimuli in other parts.